Indicating means



a3 12 1931. v R. HAWKINS i 93059244 INDICTING MEANS Filed Sept. S26.1927 Allateifated May 12, 1931 PATrE'i" TEQE ROSS HATKIe-S, OF CECAGO,ILLNOES, ASSGNOR T0 HAROLD E. HAWKINS, 0F CICAG-O, ILLNOS INDCATINGMEANS Application filed September 26, 1927.

My invention relates to means adapted to be employed in connection withsheets containing certain data or records; said means providing avisible signal,-having a preselectable value,-whereby a condition orstatus of the data or items recorded on any given sheet of the recordbool; is indicated to the user, without resort to a mass ot records ortiled data.

lilly invention, more speciiically stated, mvolves the provision ofrecord-receding sheets, preferably of the loose-leal type, provided witha multiple of small pockets arranged along' one of the marginal edges ofeach sheet; said pockets being adapted t'o receive a preselectedindicating symbol or signal whereby the condition ci the accounts orrecorded data on said sheet is immediately conveyed or indicated to theuser.

The invention has for its object the provision of a plurality ofindividual pockets along the marginal edges of the sheets of aloose-leaf boolr wherein the sheets are arranged in an overlappingrelation so that a marginal edge of each sheet is uncovered and visible;the respective pockets being perforated or each provided with an openingthrough which the symbol or signal is visible and removal from thepocket of the symbol or signal media made unnecessary; thepoclretiorming element being preferably of suitable transparent ortranslucent material whereby greater visibility of the signals isprovided.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a plurality or"individual pockets formed to permit a change of any or all of thesymbols or signals to be readily made without mutilation of the sheets,thus providing for greater Flexibility or scopeof the record; while atthe saine time the marginal pocketforming means tends to reentorce thesheets and assists in maintaining proper alignment of the overlappingsheets in the loose-leaf binder or holder.

rThe above enumerated objects and advantages, as well as otheradvantages inherent in the invention, will all be more fullycomprehended from the following description of Serial No. 221,872.

the embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings, whereinFigure l is a plan view of a loose-leaf holder or binder wherein therecord-containing sheets are arranged in overlapping relation and eachprovided with my improved means.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the sheets, on an enlarged scale, tomore clearly disclose the invention.

Figure 3 is a similar View of a portion of a sheet, illustrating amodification of the invention.

ln the particular exemplilication or" the invention, l0 represents aholder or binder provided with rings ll which may be of any suit- 65able well-known type and formed to permit the saine to pass through theperfor-ations l2 of the respective sheets. As the binder or holder is ofa well-known construction, fur ther detailed description thereof neednot be entered into.

record binders or holders oi this type are provided with a multiple ofsheet-holding elements as shown in Figure l, for the pur pose ofreceiving short sheets or cards, indicated at i3 which may be ruled andprovided with any desired forms to suit requirements.

In the particular exempliication, the sheets are arranged in overlappingrelation at the bottom edges of the sheets; the sheets or cards adaptedfor use in this tvpe of binder being ixirovided with a ililuralitv otperforations l2 preferably arranged along the inner ver ical edge of thesheet vto receive the holding elements 11.

rfhat is to say, the sheets are arranged so that the lower marginal edgeof the succeeding sheets will be exposed beyond the lower edge of thepreceding sheet or superposed card. It desired, of course, thearrangement may be reversed by having the topmost sheet at the bottom otthe stack and lapping the succeeding sheets so as to expose the upperlongitudinal margin of the successive sheets, 1n which event my improvedmeans is then applied to the upper longitudinal edge ot each sheetinstead of to the lower longitudinal edge as shown in the drawing'.

My invention consists providing the er;-

posed longitudinal margins of the. respective sheets with a plurality otsymbol or signal receiving' pockets which may be Yformed by p ro vidingeach sheet with a longitudinal inara'inal portion adapted to be foldedonto the ilinfward or recorddnaiping side of the sheet. These pockets,however, are preferably 'formed by employing` comparatively thin strips14 ot transparent or t 'ansiueent inaterial, provided with any desired*number and shape o'l apertures as at 15in Figures l and 2, or as at 1tin Figure 3. rl`he strips '1L/l are then secured to the exposedlongitudinal margin ot the respective sheets at mints intermediate otthe apertures 15 or 1G` as the case ma',7 be: the strips being' securedat the farious spaced points by means of a suitable adhesive subs ,e orglue. so as to leave the Yperil(irated portions unattachl-ic to therecord sheen, except at the lower longitudinal edge of the strip whichis also secured to the record sheet. While the upper longitudinal edgeot the strip, particularly in'nnediately above the perforations, is leftuuattachedi thus providing; a plurality oil pockets coinciding with the.perfor-ations 15 or 16;

These pockets are adapted to receire small pieces of colored material.or card-board, prelerably cut from thin sheets ol' Celluloid; thevarious inserts, in order to constitute a signal which is quicklydiscernible, being' preferably oil di'liilerent preselected colors. Forexan ple,y in Figure 2. 1T indicates a red insert; 18 indicates a blue.insert; 19 an orange-colored insert; 2O a bro\.'n ':olored insert: 21 apjreeii; a black insert; and 2?) a yellow insert.

lt vill be understood that any ninuber of colors or combination otcolors may be us each color constituting; a visible signal d ia'lnlr acertain condition or status ot the record or data ou the sheet: therespective colors having' a value or constituting; i, in keeping with apredeteriu d code ir The various symbols or signal slips` in at 1T to Q3in the particular etienn, are removably held in their ets. thuspermitting; the same to he (prickly remored or replaced in keeping' witht changing` coin'litions ot the *.ei-recorded on the sheets or cards.Ywith my invention, the signals may constantly be altered in iteeping"with conditionsl ot any particular record sheet as long' as said sheetis in use and these changes can be made without in any Way mutilatingthe sheet.

The pocket-lormingl strip or portion 14 is als, shown provided with anelongljated or large aperture oropeninp; 2d in the end pocket which isadapted to receive a slip ront-ainingr the name oit the customer or datarecori edion said sheet. It' desired, the end of the strip Where thisenlarged pocket located, may n erely be fastened or glued at theimmediate corners, namely at the points indii ile-5 cated at Q5, 26,thus leaving an opening or unattacheil portion intermediate. ot thepoints 2G, for the lengthwise. inra-iirtion of a largey slip contai:

the naine ol an individual or customer or name ot the subjectniatterrecorded on the. :heet

As previously stated, the binders are made to contain a plurality ofnarrow or short sheets in order that the latter may be arranged inoverlapping relation as shown in Figure 1, so as to expose alongitudinal margin ot each sheet; prete ably the lower longitudinalmargin. By providing this lower longitudinal margin with a strip ot thinmaterial, of Width substantially equal to the Width or". the exposed lu'er margins ot the sheets (except on the topmost sheet where the stripmay be slightly wider), (he edge of each irnlividual sheet is not onlyreen forced, but an abutting,` shoulder or edge is a lso provided 'forthe loiver edge olf the supeposed sheet, 'which assists in maintaining`prope alignment ot the sheets and therefore tends to prevent a slopingposition ot the superposed sheets or pile.

lith the pocket-providing strip 14 made olf thin sheet material., suchthin tr; nsparent paper or similar material, the flexibility ol" therecord sheets is in no way alectcd; the il n transparent materialincreasing` visibill, oi" the signal; While the individual poel:- et foreach symbol or signal provides a very Flexible signal method or controlwhich permits the record to serve for various purposes or information.

Instead ol provi ding` the pockets with the circular apertures 15 asshown in Figures l and 2, the apertures may be. of dillereutcoulifruration, as for example rectangular as shown in F igure 3.

Furthermore, the colored inserts or signal slips may be cut to anydesired shape so as to present a different appearance or signal, thusincreasing the scope of the visible signal or method. For example, at 27in Figure 2 and at 2S in Figure 3, I show the signal slips or inserts oftriangular slape and oit preselected color. Y

My improved indicating` means or 'visible signal control constitutes atime-saving method through the substitution ol sight, as it rere, forlabor in searching numerous records. thereby providing data or a recorda vailahle to an executive. whereby full knowledtjo or. the condition otthe business or ot any deperatinent thereof may be quickly ascertained.For example, the indi ating means may be employed with a sales record toindicate the salesmen Who call on the territory; which departments areshowing' business, When the business drops oil' credits that are bad;accounts which are not selling' as they should; etc., thus enabling` asales manager of a business divided into different departments to obtaininformation as to the eXact status of each department without resort toa search through voluminous records; in other words, the individual, byreason of the charting or the vital iacts by means of the visiblesignals, will obtain a birds eye- View of the main facts of the businessor department.

The invention has been illustrated in what is believed to be simpleadaptations and has been described in terms which have been employedmerely as terms of description and not as terms ot' limitation, asmodifications are possible and may be made without, however, departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

l/Vhat I claim is:

l. Indicating means of the character described comprising a record ordata receiving sheet, one marginal edge whereof is provided with aplurality of pockets open at one side, each pocket being provided with asightbpening, and signaling slips insertible in said pockets.

2. lndicating means comprising` a record sheet provided along a marginaledge with a transparent flexible strip secured at its bottom and ends tosaid sheet, said strip having holes at points spaced apart lengthwise otthe strip, the strip being secured to the sheet at points intermediateof said holes to provide a. plurality of pockets, and indicating slipsconforming with the configuration of the pockets so as to be insertablein said pockets.

3. In combination with a loose leaf binder, a plurality of sheetsarranged in the binder so as to expose the lower marginal edge ot' eachsubjacent sheet, a strip of thin flexible material disposed throughoutthe lower marginal edge of each sheet and o' width corresponding withthe width of the exposed marginal edge of each sheet so as to maintainalignment of the superposed sheets, each of said strips being secured tothe sheet at various points so as to provide a plurality ot uniformpockets open at one longitudinal edge of the strip, each pocket beingformed to permit visibility ot its contents.

4t. In combination with a loose leaf binder, a plurality of sheetsarranged in the binder in overlapping relation so as to expose a uniformmarginal portion of the lower part of each succeeding subjacent sheet, athin flexible strip of width substantially equal to the width of thelower exposed margin of each sheet secured lengthwise of the lowermarginal edge of each sheet so as to permit the superposed sheets tonest with their lower edges resting against the top edge of the strip onthe succeeding subjacent sheet, the strip being provided with aperturesspaced apart. lengthwise oft the strip with the strips secured to thesheets at the bottom and ends of the strips and at points intermediateof adjacent apertures in the strips to provide a plurality of pocketsalong the marginal edge ROSS HAWKINS.

